Gas-furnace.



Nh. '7|6,277. Patented nec. la, |902.

E. P. REICHHELM. GS FURNACE.

(Appllontion filed Aug. 4, 1902.) (Ilo Model.) Y

l z take place.

NITED STATES EDWARD P. REICHI-IELM, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERI- CAN GAS FURNAOECOMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPO- RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GAS-FU RNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 716,277, dated December 16, 1902.

Application tiled August 4, 1902. Serial No. 118,214. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, EDWARD P.REICHHELM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bayonne, in the county of Hudson and State of 5 New Jersey, have invented anImprovement `in Gras-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification. l A Y My invention relates ,to a gas blast-furnace adapted for heating forms of metal-such as 1o strips, bars, tubes, and similar articles-for the purpose of annealing and tempering the Asame in order to prepare such metal articles for drawing, stamping, or other treatment of the same in thearts. My present invention is an improvement l upon the device described `and shown in Letters Patent granted tomeMarch 12, 1901, No.

669,765. In the device'of said patent the forms of metalemerged fromthe furnace `2o through a discharge-throat supported by suitable rollers,and as thesame came in contact Vwith the atmosphere after leaving the interior of the gas-heated'furnace oxidation of the surface of the metal was very liable to This condition was exceedingly detrimental with such precious metals as silver and gold; and the object of my present invention is toovercome this defect. I have discovered that if such bars or forms of metal `are treated to a water-bath `as they emerge from the furnace andbefore they come into contactwiththeatrnosphere anditsinliuences this oxidation is prevented. In an application of like dateherewith have described and 3 5 claimed the process of thus treating bars and other forms of metal and cooling the same, and the present application relates particularly to the apparatus for carrying out the same. I provide at one end of the furnace and ad- 4`o jacent to the discharge-throat thereof deflector-plates vertically arranged and coming at the opposite` ends of said discharge-throat, the same also acting in part as supports for `metal tubes, flnelyperforated and from which water is discharged, and between these deiiector-plates I employ cover-plates that extend out from the body of the furnace at one end, with their free ends so close together that there `is only just room for thebars or other forms of metal emerging from the furemerge from the furnace and before the atmosphere can get at or have an influence upon the surfaces of said bars. These coverplates forrn close union with theend of the vfurnace between the deliector-plates, so that the only free apertures that are left are be- 6o tween the plates or other forms of metal themselves and the edges of said cover-plates, and the action of the issuing jets of water from said tubes is to draw out of the furnace thev gases contained therein rather than to permit the entrance of the atmosphere into the furnace, the pressure within being greater than the pressure without.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section'at one end of the furnace. Eig. 2 is an 7o end elevation and section at aa and lEig. 3 a planof the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical section at one end of the furnace, showing especially features of my improvement; and Fig. 5 is an elevation of the parts shown in 75 Fig. 4, Figs. 4 and 5 being of exaggerated size for clearness. Fig. 6 is a vertical section and elevation representing a modification.

The metal shell or case of the furnace comprises the top l, bottom 2, sides 3,- and 4 rep- 8o resents one end of the shell, 5 representing the legs supporting the shell at one end of the furnace, and 6 the {ire-brick lining. The end of the furnace illustrated is the discharge' end, in which there is a throat 7. Within the furnace there are hollow metal shafts a, supported in bearing-brackets ct' and carrying rolls h, formed with annular ribs b', and there `are gas-burners c, connected with gas-pipes o', the respective shafts a being connected at 9o their ends outside of the furnace by chains 9,

passing over sprockets 8, there being a wheel 10 on one shaft for connection toapower device, by Which all of the shafts and sprockets are driven. 95

At the discharge end of the furnace there are brackets 11, carrying one or more rollers d. The parts hereinbefore described correspend with like parts shown and described in my Letters Patent aforesaid. At the dis- 10o charge end of the furnace and arranged at opposite ends of the throat 7 in parallel planes are deflector plates e e. Passing through these plates and supported thereby or in any suitable or desired manner and coming above and below the horizontal plane of the discharge-throat 7 are tubes 12 and 16, each having one or more rows of ine perforatious and connected to a water-supply under pressure.

ff represent cover-plates occupying a position between the deflector-plates e e and extending over the throat 7 to normally close the same. The cover-plate f is preferably xed to the end 4 of the metal shell and set at an angle of about forty-five degrees, extending outward and upward from the end 4. The cover-platef is flexibly connected to the end 4 of the metal shell and extends downwardly and outwardly at about an angle of forty-tive degrees, the connection 4Jthereof with the end 4 being a hinge-joint.

The free ends of the plates f and f are adapted to contact with the opposite upper and lower faces of the strips, bars, tubes, or similar forms of metal that may be passed through the furnace, the upper platef yielding, so as to provide for the dierences in thickness of the metal forms and hanging by gravity, so that its free edge always rests upon such forms as thcyemerge from the furnace, the free edge of the cover-platefbeing set on the same horizontal plane as the respective upper surfaces of the supportingrolls b and the rollers d, so that said edge also contacts with the under surface of any metal forms emerging from the furnace. The space between the respective adjacent edges of emerging forms are the only spaces in evidence at the exit end of the furnace where air might enter or the gases of the furnace escape.

The apparatus employed and the method carried out thereby for heating the strips, bars, tubes, or other forms of metal for annealing, tempering, &c., is the same as set forth in my aforesaid Letters Patent.

In the operation of my improved structure and as the forms of metal 13 emerge from the furnace in a heated condition they pass between the plates ff and are met by an upward stream of water from the pipe 12 and a downward stream of water from the pipe 16, emerging under force from the fine perforations therein, so that for an appreciable distance said forms of metal are completely enveloped with water and the steam generated therefrom by the heat of said forms of metal. The action of the water Aand steam is to keep the atmosphere away from the forms of metal and to draw out of the furnace the heated gases therein, which are presumably under greater pressure than the atmosphere without, and to so cool the forms of metal before they are subjected to atmospheric influence. This has the effect of preventing oxidation and of maintaining the polished surfaces of the forms of metal in as bright and perfect a condition as when introduced into the furnace at the opposite end for heating, tempering, and annealing.

In Fig. 6, illustrating a form of my invention, I have shown the hinged cover-plate as made of two metal parts g g with an intervening layer of asbestos 14, with a roller` 15 adapted to run upon the surface of the emerging forms of metal and having bearings securedto the plate g. The water-tube h is secured to the lower free edges of the plates g g in close proximity to the work, where the streams of water issuing with force can be most effectually employed. I do not wish herein to be limited to the precise or exact structure illustrated, as it may be possible to depart from the same to an appreciable extent and still eeot the same result.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a gas or other furnace, the combination with a series of conveyers and a discharge-throat, of means extending around the discharge-throat substantially excluding the entrance of the atmosphere to the furnace and substantially inclosing the forms of metal emerging therefrom, and means adjacent thereto for discharging sprays of water upon and for cooling the emerging forms of metal, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gas or other furnace, the combination with a series of conveyers and a dischargethroat, of means arranged at the respective ends of the discharge-throat of the furnace, and means between the same and extending over the entire discharge-throat and yielding for the passage of the forms of metal as emerging from the furnace between the same, and perforated tubes located adjacent to the latter means and discharging sprays of water that entirely surround the emerging forms of metal, substantially as set forth.

3. In a gas or other furnace, the combination with a series of conveyers and a dischargethroat, of defiector-plates arranged parallel and in vertical planes at the opposite ends of i the discharge-throat, cover-plates arranged between said defiector-plates and substantially closing the discharge-orifice but yielding to permit the forms of metal emerging from the furnace to pass between the same, and tubes having fine perforations for the discharge of water under pressure arranged above and below the discharge-throat and said cover-plates, substantially as set forth.

4. In a gas or other furnace, the combination with a series of conveyers and a dischargethroat, of deiiector-plates e e arranged vertically and parallel to one another at the opposite ends of the discharge-throat, a fixed coverplatef secured to the end shell of the furnace and extending upwardly and outwardly at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and between the deliector-plates, a cover-platef' also between the deflector-plates and hinged at its upper edge to the end shell of the furnace IIO and extending `downwardly and outwardly and hanging byigravity upon the emerging forms of metal and tubes 12 and 16 having fine` perforations therein for water under pressure arranged above and below the discharge-throat and adjacent to the points of connection of the respective cover-plates to the end shell of the furnace, whereby the water discharged from said tubes is spread over the surfaces of said cover-plates and is ejected with force against the .emerging forms of metal and covers the surfacesthereof for the purposes of `cooling the same, before they come into contact with the atmosphere.

`5. In a gas or other furnace, the combination With a series of conveyers and a dischargethroat, of deliector-plates arranged parallel and in vertical planes at the opposite ends of the discharge-throat, coverp`lates arranged between said deflectorplates and substantially closing the discharge-orifice but yielding to permit the forms of metal emerging from the furnace to pass between the same,

and tubes having fine perforations coacting with said cover-plates for the discharge of Water under pressure directly upon and around the heated forms of metal, substantially as set forth.

Signed my me this 29th day of July, 1902.

` EDWARD P. REICHHELM.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINGKNEY, BERTHA M. ALLEN. 

